Book Review: Gold of Kings

Gold of Kings: A Novel by Davis Bunn

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I didn't expect to hate it, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it like I did.

I really liked the protagonists - Harry, Storm, and Emma. Although, Emma was my least favorite of the three. Something about her just wasn't quite right. And I found the relationship between Harry and Emma a bit hard to swallow. Something about it just didn't seem right to me. But, I'm able to overlook that. The story itself was well-written and very engaging. I especially liked that there were some occurrences I didn't see coming. It's great when a book surprises me and I can't necessarily see what's coming.

Gold of Kings was an engaging, fun, and suspenseful story. I had fun reading it, and will be looking for more books by Davis Bunn.

View all my reviews.

Friend Makin' Monday

It's that time again! While I've fallen behind on almost all other aspects of my goals with my blog, I have managed to remember Friend Makin' Monday! That's just how much I enjoy it, I guess! LOL Kasey over at All That Is Good made the theme for this the five senses. List five things for each of the five senses - for you love, and one you don't. So, here are mine:

Sight
Love:
1. My husband. He's a hottie, if I don't say so myself! ;-) (The fact that we haven't seen each other since April 2 probably has nothing to do with this being the first thing to come to mind! LOL)
2. Beautiful sunsets.
3. My kids' smiling faces.
4. Purple. In case you couldn't tell, it's my favorite color!
Don't:
1. Snakes. I'm pretty sure it's a bona fide phobia. I can't even handle things that resemble snakes or could (out of the corner of my eye, perhaps) be mistaken for one! Example: I wouldn't let my husband purchase a green or black garden hose!

Smell
Love:
1. Lilacs. They are by far my favorite flower, because of their beautiful scent.
2. My husband. I just love his scent.
3. Rain in the spring - especially right before the rain starts to fall.
4. Baking bread.
Don't:
1. Vomit. I'll take the nastiest stinky diapers any day. Just don't make me handle vomit - I'll just add to it!

Touch
Love:
1. Zeus, my gray cat. His fur is the softest fur I've ever felt on a REAL cat.
2. My husband's freshly shaved face.
3. Hugs from my kids.
4. Massage. LOVE it!
Don't:
1. Raw meat.

Taste
Like:
1. Chocolate and peanut butter. Especially Hershey's or Nestle Crunch dipped in Jif!
2. White cake batter.
3. Sharp cheddar cheese. I have no idea why, but I LOVE it. Can't get enough!
4. Alaskan king crab legs. I don't get them very often at all, but I SAVOR them when I do!
Don't:
1. There are so many, many things I don't like. I'm picky - and it sucks. Top of the list: tomatoes - they make me gag!

Sound
Like:
1. Thunder.
2. My children's laughter.
3. Music. I like a wide, wide range. From classical to Christian rock and everything in between. Current favorites include Skillet, Jars of Clay, Swan Lake, and Evanescence. I'm also a HUGE fan of movie soundtracks, such as Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, and other such theatrical scores!
4. Cats purring.
Don't:
1. My kids crying or whining.

This list was actually hard for me to come up with. It required me to actually THINK about this, rather than just noting it when I come across it! LOL But, it's fun! So, please, share yours! I can't wait to see what your list is! :-)

The End is Near

No, I'm not getting cryptic or preachy! LOL I'm just excited. We're in the home stretch - the last week of DH's time away! Saturday cannot come soon enough, let me tell you! I'm exhausted. Worn out to the bone - of course, Natalie not sleeping well last night doesn't help any. I am so ready for someone else to entertain the kids. So ready for some help around the house. And, most importantly, so ready to have HIM home again! Lord, make this week FLY by, PLEASE! Of course, I'd like to get the house cleaned up - a LOT before his return - and the kids are grumbling about that. Did I expect anything different? No, not really! LOL

I'm hoping that once he's back, I'll be able to get back into the blog-improvement challenge, of which I'd spoken before. I'm also hoping to get some much-needed rest. But, he'll be tired, too. So, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. C'mon Saturday! Get here FAST!

My Review of PREMIUM - PREMIX

SKECHERS

Remake your look with the sporty SKECHERS Premium-Premix sneaker. Smooth leather upper in a slip on casual sneaker style, with stitching and logo detail, stretch front panel. Cushioned insole, traction outsole, 1 1/2 inch heel.

PREMIUM - PREMIX

Comfy and durable

ham1299 Illinois 4/25/2009

 

4 5

Sizing: Feels true to size

Width: Feels true to width

Pros: Stylish, Attractive Design, Great Cushioning, Comfortable

Best Uses: Casual Wear

Describe Yourself: Comfort Driven

View On Shoes: Shoes are for Wearing

I love these shoes. they're comfortable and quick to put on. I wear these whenever I need something other than slip-ons or sandals.

()

Friend Makin' Monday

Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites! is hosting FMM this week, and she chose a GOOD topic!

Who are your top 5 celebrity crushes? I am so glad I didn't miss this week! LMAO Here's my list, in no particular order.

1. Johnny Depp ~ Need I say more?


2. James Marsden ~ The role I discovered him in is Prince Edward in Enchanted. He is quite yummy!


3. Matt Damon ~ Especially in the Jason Bourne movies! YUMMY!


4. Sawyer ~ It's sad. I don't know the actor's name. Josh Holloway? Is that it? Or something like that? Poor guy'll probably never be known - at least not by the ladies - as anything other than Sawyer! LOL But, hey, is that really such a bad thing?


5. Aragorn ~ I know the dude who plays him is Viggo Mortensen. The role of Aragorn is the only one in which I find him HOT. But, I'll take it. Each of those movies in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is quite long - more time to enjoy some eye candy! ;-)

Those are mine - at least for now. Only the first three are pretty consistently on my list. The last two are interchangeable with other actors. But, this is my list this time! LOL

So, what about you? Who are your top 5 celebrity crushes? I showed you mine - now it's your turn to show me yours! ;-) (Don't forget to post a link so I know to come check it out!)

Book Review: Inkdeath

Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this final book in the Inkheart trilogy. I felt the conclusion was satisfactory. There were some twists and turns I hadn't expected, and I felt sufficient closure was given to each character of importance. I loved how Meggie's fate was hinted at. I also thought the further development of Mo, Resa, and even Fenoglio was a lot of fun to watch.

I am keeping this extremely general, as I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. I didn't find this as awesome as the other two, but perhaps that's in part because I wasn't able to read it without distraction. It's really difficult to get fully captivated by a book when you're not able to shut out the world around you.

View all my reviews.

It's Hump Day Again ...

Well, for me it is! As of now, DH has 15 days until his return. We're smack-dab in the middle of his deployment. Going away last week was the best thing I could've done. It really helped the time fly by. With appointments and soccer practices and school, this week flew by, too. Two weeks from tomorrow, he'll be home. I cannot wait!

I will admit it - this (so far, at least) - seems to be a bit easier than the past times were. Perhaps it's because the kids are older - or because I've had more practice. I dunno. But, it's not a matter of creating a new routine, only of falling into an established alternate routine. I used to be in awe of military wives, who do this regularly. I still am - but now I'm more grateful that I'm NOT a military wife. At least my husband never has to go if he doesn't choose to. As a civilian, he can turn down deployments at any point - heck, he could even leave mid-deployment if he ever needed to. And, at least I know he's safe. He's never going into harm's way. I am grateful for that, too. And, yes, that alone leaves me in awe of military wives, as does the fact that my husband's deployment is much shorter than a typical military deployment.

Anyway, I just wanted to celebrate - it's all downhill from here, right? ;-) These next two weeks cannot pass quickly enough. Although, I do think they will fly by. We have a soccer game - complete with team photos - tomorrow, plus her practices on Mondays and Wednesdays and more games for the next few Saturdays. We have Abby's carnival at school on Friday. Grant has another appointment with the speech therapist. And so on. We'll keep busy, and that's good. It's how I have found it's best to pass the time until DH's return. Once he is back, I wanna just slow down - for a long time!

Well, thanks for bearing with me as I mark what is an important day for me. Now I just pray my adrenaline rush lasts another 15 days - or so!

Scrollin' Scrollin' Scrollin'

Keep those badges scrollin'
Scroll on!

OK, enough silliness! LOL Thanks to Heidi from Sacred and Profane, I found a way to keep my badges from making my page longer than the Mississippi River. Over on the right, I have a new little widget that scrolls my badges in a smaller area than displaying them all statically. Heidi kindly pointed me to Dinkypops, where Brooke was kind enough to post the code for anyone who is interested in saving some space on their page. So, if you fit into that category, just check out the post on how to scroll your buttons!

Do you like lists?

Lists can be useful, for so many reasons. And I'm not just talking about the to-do lists. Or the honey-do lists, either! ;-) I know when I'm trying to decide on something, there are time when others' rankings of whatever it is - let's say what new TV show to watch - help me make my choice. Or, sometimes, it's just fun to see what others think of various things. Yes, I know, I'm writing somewhat vaguely. Sorry. I'm not trying to confuse, bore, or annoy anyone. I want to share The Mother of All Lists with you. There are more than 600 lists on just about any topic! (I am honored to say that my list of Top 10 Kids' Shows has made it onto this list.) Anyway, even if you don't need a list right now for anything, take a look. Bookmark this list, as there'll be a day when you do need it!

Love is a verb: My Three Happy Moments For Today

Over on Love is a verb, Divine Mrs D has a great take on life. In her recent post, Love is a verb: My Three Happy Moments For Today, she finds some things to be happy about. Lord knows that's something I need to work on myself. So, here are my three happy things for today.

1. Today was our first day home since last Wednesday, and we all really enjoyed it. I think every one of us - even the dog - was happy to be home again.
2. Thanks to the cold, wet weather, soccer practice for Abby was canceled today. That made for a more relaxed evening. What's not to love about that?
3. Abby very sweetly informed me that she likes how I look when I wear my glasses, and that she thinks I look beautiful when I wear my hair down. Sweet girl!

I shared mine, so now it's your turn. What are your happy moments today?

Would this freak YOU out?

Let's just say that since we returned home yesterday, there has been a short series of odd events on the premises.

While pulling into my garage last night, I noticed that our trash can and recycling bin have moved. No, not moved, rather pivoted - turned roughly 45 degrees clockwise so that they are angled kinda diagonal to the garage. Odd. I put them back, as that's not how we keep them. I figured it was a freak odd occurrence. Either maybe they got blown around while we were gone and someone put them back. Or maybe some freak wind gust(s) caused it. I dunno.

Apparently I was wrong. The kids and I get home after a Target run about an hour and a half ago, and the cans have been turned again. I'm thinking that it's definitely not a fluke. And I should probably note that no one else's cans have been turned. Who the heck would be doing this? Should I be worried? If my husband was here, I wouldn't be worried - just annoyed. But, he's not - and won't be until early May. I guess that puts me on high alert. Anyway, is the old man from across the alley a suspect? Again, it's only our cans. No one else's. What gives? I'll be honest and say I'm slightly creeped out by this.

Tomorrow is garbage day. Tonight I put out the can for pick-up (no recycling this week). I decided to leave the pivoted cans because of that, but when I put it back tomorrow afternoon, I'll put it back the way we usually keep them. What if it happens again?

One week down ...

... three left to go. And I'm EXHAUSTED! But, I think - I hope - the hardest week is coming to an end. Spring break. Thanks to the hospitality of my parents, we were able to really have a nice week. We came to see them Wednesday afternoon, and will leave tomorrow after lunch. The time here has been great - time to hang out, stay out of each others' hair, time to be with family. The kids have thoroughly enjoyed getting to play with their cousins every day, and I have enjoyed getting to see my sister and my parents. (The only thing missing is my other sister, who lives on the East Coast.) Today we dyed Easter eggs with the kids. This was the first time any of my kids got to do it. Abby and Grant both really loved it. We had some leftover color tablets, which I will bring home and use in a couple of weeks. An easy thing to do to have more fun with the kiddos. Tomorrow we have our Easter celebration with family, including an egg hunt, then we head home after lunch. I have mixed feelings about that. It'll be so nice to be in my own home - not to be living out of a suitcase anymore. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed, and get the kids back into their usual routine. But, I'm going to miss my family - and being home again. I also don't necessarily look forward to having to deal with the dog again. *sigh*

I do have to say that I think I'm much more homesick than I'd thought. In the past there have been things about coming home that I haven't liked - mainly the congestion. Too many people everywhere - too many cars on the roads. But, none of that bothered me this week. None of it. I just kept thinking how good it is to be home! And it really is. It breaks my heart to know that the chances of coming back permanently are slim to none. I truly think I'd be happier here. I'd be able to get back with most of my friends. Go to places I miss. And, best of all, see my family more often than a few times per year. *sigh* I just need to think about what it is that we have going well for us there that we likely wouldn't have here.

Things to like about where we live:

• I get to be a SAHM.
• We own a house. I don't think we'd be able to do that here - especially not without me working.
• We have EXCELLENT caregivers for our children and ourselves. Our pediatrician, for one, is someone I'd hate to have to try to replace. And, God forbid, if he ever chose to move on, we at least have a wonderful practice from which to choose a replacement. But, I banish such thoughts, as I really don't wanna see that happen. My doctors, our dentists, eye doctor. Everyone. They are all quality professionals who have good bedside manner, too. That bedside manner is what I'd miss. I know there are quality professionals here, too, but I never had such awesome bedside manner here.
• Lighter traffic.
• Many things that can't be found easily here usually aren't so hard to get where we live.
• The river.
• Cost of living is significantly lower.
• Our kids were born where we live.
• Car insurance is considerably cheaper - as is homeowner's insurance, I'm sure.
• We can live a slower, more relaxed lifestyle - and there's definitely something to be said for that.

Well, I'm feeling a ton better! :-) What a great idea that was! ;-)

As I mentioned before, my wonderful husband gets home three weeks from today. Believe me, I am counting down. I started counting down before he left! LOL I'm hoping that once we get back into our usual routine, I'll not be so tired and we'll be able to make it without much stress. And I'm rambling. Sorry. I'm exhausted beyond belief.

Top 10 Kids' Shows

As I sit here, Abby is watching one of her favorite kids' shows. And that served as inspiration. I thought I'd share with you what shows my kids watch that I don't mind having on the TV. These are in no particular order.

1. Martha Speaks ~ This PBS Kids show is great. I have no idea how long it's been on air, but we discovered it in the fall. Abby immediately took a liking to it. While the concept is kinda goofy, it's very educational. I have noticed a significant increase in her vocabulary since we've started watching this show. Plus, it's hilarious. There are times they put little witty comments in there that my husband and I both find ourselves laughing at. It's a great, educational, and witty show!
2. Word Girl ~ Another PBS Kids show that we just love. Like Martha Speaks, it is funny, educational, and another great show. This, too, helps Abby's vocabulary. In fact, when I hear her use a big word, I often ask her where she learned that word - and nine times out of 10, she'll say one of the two shows. Pretty cool, if you ask me! While I don't find it quite as amusing as Martha Speaks, it still cracks me up on occasion.
3. Little Bear ~ This one's a Noggin fave in our house. The kids love it. I like it, too. I'm not sure why - it's definitely not the most educational show. But, it is cute.
   
4. Jack's Big Music Show ~ Another Noggin fave here, JBMS is a music-centered show. The kids love it - the puppets are attention grabbers, and the music is a hit. My kids are especially fond of Laurie Berkner. I like this because it actually teaches them about music and even exposes them to different genres of music. As a music fan, I find that a HUGE plus!
5. Little Einsteins ~ Another music-centered show, Disney's Little Einsteins is another big hit in my house. My favorite thing about this one is they use classical music. I don't always like the lyrics they add - and sometimes I wish the kids were better singers - but the exposure to classical music makes me very happy. Plus, they teach kids all sorts of musical terms.
6. Sid the Science Kid ~ While this one tends to be annoying at times, I appreciate the fact that this new PBS show goes beyond the typical teaching of the alphabet and numbers to teach youngsters science. I have been very impressed by the stuff it covers - from irreversible change to caring for your teeth to why some people need glasses. It's pretty neat - and my son just loves this show.
7. Word World ~ I love this PBS show because not only does it teach letters and words, but it teaches phonics, too. It helps children learn to sound out words - my 3-year-old son can read three- and four-letter words and I'm sure it's partially thanks to this show.
8. Curious George ~ Yes, this is another PBS show. (We do not have cable/satellite TV.) It's based on the popular series of books, and it's a highly entertaining show. It was one of the first shows we discovered after we canceled our DirecTV service almost two years ago. It's quite funny at times, and it still finds a way to teach kids subtle lessons. We like it, though, purely for its entertainment value!
9. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ~ Another Disney hit, MMC is a favorite in our house. Grant, especially, loves it. It teaches everything from counting and shapes to colors and numbers. The kids find it highly entertaining, and that's always good.
   
10. Super WHY! ~ I don't know why, but PBS is big on reading. And that's a good thing - I am NOT complaining! This is a cute show that takes common - and not-so-common - fairy tales and childhood stories and uses them to help kids learn some reading skills and letter recognition. Sometimes I get annoyed by the retelling of some of the fairy tales, but that's just the purist literature lover in me! ;-) This show is another one that's helping my kids learn to love reading. I'm not gonna complain.
    

So, there you have it. My 10 favorite shows for young kids. All of these are guaranteed hits in my house.

Now it's your turn. Please share a list of your favorite kids' shows, and post a comment with a link to your post so I can come see! :-)

My Elevator Pitch

As I have mentioned a few times in the past, I'm participating in a 31-day challenge to improve my blog. Yesterday's challenge was about creating an elevator pitch for your blog. (If you wanna know exactly what that is, read all about it here.) Long story short, it's a tagline, basically. It's supposed to make someone want to read it. I don't think mine is all that catchy - "Just sharing whatever's on my mind" doesn't scream READ ME! But, that's ok. Because, really, that's all I plan/intend to do here. I don't have a higher purpose for this blog. I'm not trying to change the world, leave my mark on the world, or anything else. I started this blog with the intention of having a place where I could let myself out. Say what I want, how I want, when I want. Allow my verbal diarrhea (nice picture, huh? LOL) to have its way. Yes, the blog is evolving a bit - I now also post book reviews, product reviews, and community "events" (such as Friend Makin' Mondays) - but I don't want it to be pegged. I don't want it to be something I feel I have to do. I enjoy this, and I'd like to keep it that way. So, while it's not very engaging, my elevator pitch will have to remain "Just sharing whatever's on my mind" - at least for now. A longer version could be, "Just sharing whatever's on my mind. From rantings and ravings about life in general to book and product reviews, if it's on my mind, this is where it'll be." Not very catchy or creative, but then neither am I! ;-)

Stay tuned for more posts related to the 31 days to a better blog. In fact, I'm hoping to complete today's task soon.

I lied

Well, not really. I didn't lie, persay. I just was wrong! LOL I thought I was done with my blog, but I was not happy with my header at all! So, I've been up way too late trying to make one I like. This one is much better, but I'm still not sure if this is IT. I've been staring at it for way too long to be able to determine that! LOL In fact, I've spent so much time on this, that I failed to do my first day of the 31 days to a better blog. And, of course, we're leaving Wednesday to go out of town for Easter weekend. So, maybe I'll be a week behind. Or maybe, by some miracle, I'll find time tomorrow to do it. We'll see. But, I WILL do this challenge!

Friend Makin' Monday

This week's mission on All That is Good is to post 10 things that really get you fuzzed up - as in mad. So, here I go! (I used to be an editor, and I have a degree in English, so a few of these are related to that.)

1. Not using its and it's correctly. Possessive is its. If you wanna say it is, you need that apostrophe! It's that simple, folks!
2. Improper use of there, their, and they're. The first, there, is the place, as in "Go over there." The second, their, is possessive, as in "That is their new car." The easiest one to remember is the third. They + are = They're
   
3. People not using turn signals when driving.
   
4. Overuse of shorthand (or whatever it's called) when typing somewhere. I will admit, I use it sometimes - DH for my husband, GMTA for great minds think alike, etc. But, I do not do the numbers-and-words combos.I h8 when I have 2 stop and dcy4 what someone's saying - especially when it's directed at me. If you're writing to me on Facebook or whatever, please be so kind as to spell everything out.
   
5. My wonderful husband seems to fear the consequences of putting his dirty clothes inside the hamper, rather than on top of it.
   
6. Along the same lines, after showering, my wonderful husband tends to leave his wet towel in our bedroom - haphazardly tossed on top of my clothes or my side of the bed.
   
7. Misuse of the apostrophe ('). Do NOT use it to denote plurals. Apostrophes are used for POSSESSIVES or contractions (i.e. turning cannot into can't).
   
8. Speaking of cannot - it's one word.
9. When people show blatant favoritism for one branch of the family tree.
   
10. People who abuse the system - any system, but especially any sort of help. Like, yes, Welfare. While there are a good many of people out there who need it and who are honestly trying to better themselves, there are way too many freeloaders. You are entitled to the pursuit of happiness - that means you can do what you need to make yourself happy. Stop expecting others to do that for you. And off the soapbox I go ...
    

And there you go. Lists like these are hard for me - take forever to write. But, I'm always happy to have done it. Let me know if you participate in this, too, so I can come read your list!

It pleases me to announce ...

... that my blog redesign is finished! :-) I am so excited. I've been working for several days with my friend Kelly on this design. Many of you know it took me some thought and help to decide on a header. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! I removed some elements from my blog, because they increased load time, or they were just plain annoying. I considered removing the playlist, but I have that there for my own enjoyment more than anything. So, it stays - but it does not autoplay. So, that means if you want to hear it, you'll have to start it. Otherwise, no more music. I know how annoying it can be if you aren't wanting to hear it - or if you're listening to something else - when someone's music starts without your consent. So, now you have control.

This is Day 1 of the 31-day blog-improvement challenge. I haven't even read the e-mail yet, but I cannot wait to get started. I wanted my new design live before I did anything with that, though. Anyway, I am thrilled to pieces over this. Thanks for your patience - and your help, if you weighed in on the header!

Pardon My Dust

This blog is currently under construction.

The kids and I haven't been feeling well, so I went to bed early last night. I didn't get my blog updated as I'd hoped before going to bed. I am now working on it. But, of course, this means regular interruptions. So, I'll consider it a victory if I get it done today! I will, of course, post an update when it's finished. Thanks for understanding!

Last time, I promise!

I promise this is the last time I need help with the new header. I made one more post and posted one more poll. Please be so kind as to take this new poll to help me decide!

Go here!

Let's try this again!

Here's another look at my new blog style, with a fourth contender for the header!

Click here!

I need your help!

As I previously mentioned, I am working on a new template for this blog. I am almost finished. The only problem at this point is that I cannot decide on a header. So, I am offering a sneak preview of my new blog so you all can help me choose! On that blog is the new template with three versions of my blog-to-be. Please be so kind as to vote for your favorite! Poll closes at 7:35 p.m. CENTRAL tomorrow (April 5), so please vote now!

Click here!

What a Day

I think I've used this title before! LOL But, man, has it been one heck of a day. For starters, my husband left today for a 30-day civilian deployment. He works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has "volunteered" to go to Fargo, North Dakota, to help because of the flooding up there. "Volunteered" is a tricky word. It means he elected to go - not that he's a volunteer. He's getting paid - and there's lots of extra money, which is why he goes. I "let" him go, because I know these deployments are extremely helpful in allowing me to SAH with the kiddos. Anyway, he originally was supposed to take off around 11:30 this morning. But, there was an administrative mix-up (that's putting it nicely), and he had to go on a later flight. He took off around 2:30 instead. So, there was madness and craziness with that.

I took Abby to get a haircut at 10:30. I take her to a place for kids called Cookie Cutters.We love this place, and our stylist. They are totally focused on kids. They even have a slide inside for kids who are waiting! It's great. Well, usually, anyway. I had to take all three kids because of DH's issues with the travel orders. He had to go into the office to straighten it all out. When we got there, all three kids started playing on the slide. It's kinda high, but all three have been on it before, so I kinda let my guard down a little. While getting Abby situated for her haircut, Natalie must've fallen off the stairs to the slide. The very top is a few feet off the ground. I don't think she fell off the top - I think it was lower down. But, she fell nonetheless. I didn't see it, and felt horrible about that. She had a red mark on her forehead. I got her a sucker to help settle her down, and she snuggled with me and ate her sucker. She tried to run around with it, but I wouldn't let her, of course.

When we got home, she still had her sucker. I put her in her booster seat at the table so she wouldn't try to take off with the sucker. After about 10 minutes, she starts screaming. I gave her some water, she calmed down. I start making lunch, and she starts screaming again. I figured she was hungry, so I went ahead and fed the kids. She took a couple of bites of her food, and then cried and cried. It was really not like her, so I talked to DH and we decided that I needed to call the pediatrician just to be safe. I put her down for a nap first, as she was nearly falling asleep in my arms.

After leaving a message, I started to put Grant down for his nap. During that, DH came in with Natalie in his arms. He said I need to take her to the ER. He spoke with our pediatrician, who gave him a list of things to look for. After they hung up, Natalie started vomiting - and that was one of the red flags. So, we called the ped's office again, and they said just to go to the ER. So, to the ER we went.

At the ER we talked to a few people - triage nurse, other nurse, physician's assistant, doctor, etc. During our talk with the PA, Natalie threw up again - this time all over me, of course. So, they gave her some Zofran to stop the vomiting and some Tylenol with Codene to help make her feel better and make her drowsy for the CT scan. She did very well for that, and really all three kids did wonderfully the whole time. Finally, we got the results - everything is perfect! PHEW! What a relief!

The PA said that sometimes if the brain gets jostled enough all of those symptoms show up even though there's no major damage or anything. She also said that it's possible that Natalie had a very mild concussion that doesn't show anything on the scan. Natalie is fine, can eat and play however she wants, and we have nothing to be worried about. She does have a prescription for the Zofran, so I gave her some before bed. I'm praying she sleeps well tonight - that all of us do!

We spent a total of about 3 hours at the ER. Thankfully, I was able to find a vending machine so I could give my hungry babies a snack, and they had the TV tuned to PBS Kids.

During this time, DH headed off to Fargo. It sucks - we didn't really get to say good-bye. None of us really did! :-( He was very worried - and concerned that maybe he should have stayed home. I told him that he did the right thing. I called him when we got home. (I will say that this made me wish I still had a cell phone. So, I might be rethinking this no-cell thing soon!)

So Excited!

I know, I know. I've been quiet lately. But, I have good reason. I've been working on a custom template created by ME (with the help of one of my BFF, Kelly) for this blog! I am so excited about it. The color scheme is so me. Actually, any of you familiar with FROGs should instantly recognize the colors! I love those colors so much I decided to use them here, too. I have a practice blog on which I'm tweaking my template. Once it's done, I'll bring it here. I cannot wait! :-)

10 Things I Cannot Do Without

I've been reading other blogs more lately, and I've come across a few things I like here and there. Thanks to Heidi over at Sacred and Profane, I found All That is Good, which has what she calls Friend Makin' Mondays. It's a pretty cool concept, so I thought I'd try to participate every week. This week's topic is 10 Things You Can't Live Without.

Here's my list:

1. My MacBook ~ Ever since my desktop PC died, my MacBook has been IT. I hooked it up to an external keyboard, the large monitor I was using with my PC, the speakers, etc. My one complaint is that I miss the portability I used to have. I would like to one day - hopefully sooner rather than later - I can get either an iMac or a Mac Mini.

2. Dr Pepper ~ It's my coffee. 'Nuff said! ;-)

3. Kraft Bagelfuls ~ When I don't have much time for breakfast, these are awesome. I keep a box in the fridge, plus a backup box in the freezer. I pop one in the toaster, and it's delish!

4. A good book ~ I read so many books and so quickly that I couldn't pick a specific one. So long as I have something to read that doesn't put me to sleep, I'm happy.

5. Toilet paper ~ I'm not sure what I'd do without it! LOL

6. Chocolate & peanut butter ~ Do I really need to explain this one? (For the record, I couldn't find any chocolate dipping in peanut butter pics, so I opted for this. These are the candy bars of preference ...)

7. Deodorant ~ I don't like being stinky and sweaty.

8. Gumdrop pacifiers ~ These little suckers are awesome! (Pardon the pun, hee hee!) We received one at the hospital after Natalie was born, and she was able to hold onto it as a newborn! They're cheaper than the Avent ones we were using for the other two.

9. Cinnamint Orbit Gum ~ Instead of breath mints.

10. Music ~ Like with a good book, I can't pick a specific song or a specific artist. There's way too much out there that I love.

So, how about you? What can't you live without? If you decide to participate, please let me know so I can check you out! :-)

Oh, the drama!

I hate drama - IRL, online, wherever. Well, except on TV - but then I'm actually expecting it and wanting to get lost in it. Any drama other than that which was made for the purpose of entertainment is unwelcome. I. don't. want. it.

Some of you likely will remember that I had some drama going on with my Web site somewhat recently. In some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday; in others, it feels like it was months ago. Funny how that works.

Anyway, the result of that whole stupid ordeal was that one of our members - a staff member, nonetheless - decided to take her leave of the board. I knew she'd be a big loss, but I also understood (and still understand) where she's coming from. But, in her announcement to the rest of Staff that she's leaving, she basically told my co-admin to go ahead and kill the site. She's gone - or something like that. It appears she's getting her wish. She's a sweet individual and a true friend, so I know she didn't actually mean that she wanted to see the site fail. I also know that she hasn't done anything to sabotage to site. I think it was just the fallout from the crap that happened before. Now, the site is extremely inactive and I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever recover. Apparently this individual was the heart and soul of the site - for her absence is what brought this lull in activity to pass.

So, now the question becomes simple: What do I do? Do I watch it die a slow, miserable death? Do I perform e-CPR and do what I can to revive the site? Do I beg the former staffer to return to the site? Do I pull the plug and walk away? Or do I hand the site over to someone else, then walk away? I dunno. Even staff members aren't posting much, which can't be good. I think the whole incident from before had a much bigger impact on them than it originally looked like it had. And I just don't know what to do.

Add to all of this that I've been just overtired. Not sure why. Plus, my wonderful (and I mean it - no sarcasm) husband has decided to work for FEMA again. No, he's not getting a new job. He's still with the Army Corps of Engineers. But, they'll send him to North Dakota to help with all the flooding and stuff going on there. Just like what he's done in the past in New Orleans and Texas - except for once he's going farther north. I get to be the one to brag about better weather! LOL I'm sharing this to say it's just going to get worse. I'll temporarily be a single mom, having to do it all 100% by myself. Sure, I could attempt to ask my family for help, but they're useless. My mom always has a million and one excuses for why she couldn't possibly help me out. (But she's going to try to see my other sister - who is several states away - soon because she thinks my sister needs her right now!) One sister is too far away. The other is VERY, very busy - especially this time of year. And my in-laws? Forget them. They can't make their way up here under normal circumstances. They couldn't be bothered to come up here when our youngest was born. Don't get me started.

Despite all of that, I decided to take on a challenge. It's 31 Days to Build a Better Blog by ProBlogger. I have found that I really enjoy blogging and I have been thinking of ways to make this a better blog. Now I'll have not only a ton of great ideas, but also big-time motivation! I only hope that I'll find a way to really be faithful in this while my husband's away! I am excited about this, and hope that in the coming weeks you'll find this blog an even better place! (Many thanks to My Friend Amy for her Weekly Review post that included this little tidbit!)

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading!

If I could go back

Before I start my intended post, I must clarify something simple. The post below this one isn't really a mistake. I started it, and Natalie (my 17-month-old) sneaked in and submitted it! I originally was going to delete it and start over, but decided to keep it. For sentimental reasons. And now, I bring you the post for which you've been waiting - I hope!

Whenever people want to get to know someone, many questions are routinely asked. One of them is "If you could go back in time, what would you change?" My answer is usually one of the following (or some combination thereof):

• I would change nothing, because every bit of it has made me who I am today and brought me here.
• I would avoid getting into debt - excepting the standard student loans, auto loans, and mortgage.
• I would have chosen a different major.
• I would use another similar thing as my answer.
  

Those are mostly true - generally speaking. But, tonight, I was thinking. And there are actually a bunch of (mostly) smaller things I would change, if given a chance. And, since this is the place to unload my mind, I'm gonna subject you all to it.

So, if I was able to go back and change things, there are some things I'd do differently.

• I would not have moved before my family did. The summer before I started high school, my parents decided it was time to move to a different suburb. It would put me into a completely different school district in which I knew no one. The house was put up for sale in July. We figured it'd take at least a few months, as often is the case. But, well, that wasn't how it worked out. The house sold in FIVE days. That's less than a week! My parents found a house, etc. The Big Move was going to be toward the end of September - after school had started. I was given the choice of either transferring after starting school or staying with a friend and starting school in my new district. I opted for the latter. I didn't want to be The New Kid that everyone wonders about mid-year. I didn't want all of that attention. I didn't want to have to struggle in my classes as I figured out where I was academically. I thought starting school in my new school would be best. Well, that worked out OK. Staying with my friend was cool, and I suppose there's something to be said for not transferring about a month into the school year your freshman year of high school. But, there were things I never saw coming.
  For one, I wasn't able to get into the right classes. I registered about a week before school was starting, and the guidance counselor didn't have my transcripts. He gave me the choice of physical science (I think that's what it was) or biology. I chose biology. I ended up in a class full of sophomores, rather than in the advanced biology classes with the other freshmen! (Interestingly, I didn't figure this out until my senior year, when my resulting GPA was just a smidgen too low for the National Honor Society, of which I desperately wanted to be a part.) This was one of many classes in which this happened. Not only did it happen freshman year, it did the following year, too. My first semester I was in a class full of juniors - intermediate level. My second semester, they finally figured out their mistake, and I was put into the advanced level with my peers. But, by that point it was too late. I was confused as hell and didn't do so well.
  The other thing was that socially it was rough. I had grown up with most of my classmates, and been through the toughest years - known as junior high - with them, and never got closure. With the exception of my closest friends, I never got to say good-bye to anyone. I just disappeared off the face of the planet, so far as many of them were concerned. In fact, ironically, during college I actually ran into one of my junior high classmates at a concert. He was sitting next to me - I didn't recognize him at all, but he was able to place me. (This strikes me as particularly ironic, given the fact that I had a big crush on him in junior high and he didn't seem to notice me at all. LOL) He said hi, then asked "What happened to you? You just disappeared." So, I explained the situation and he understood. But, that was one of the first times I really thought about the social side of my move.
  Recently, thanks to facebook, I have been able to re-connect with some of these people. It's been so neat, but at the same time it raised my awareness of what I've missed out on. Perhaps I could have remained in touch with many of these people if I had attended the first few weeks of school with them.
  
• I would have majored in something different. Don't get me wrong, I love my English degree. I enjoyed studying it. And, well, it was easy! LOL But, it wasn't necessarily what I wanted to study. I had considered studying in something music related, but my mom wouldn't let me. She told me she wouldn't help me pay for school if I did, so I went with English. Turns out, I should've followed my heart - my parents hardly helped me with my education anyway. They took out one small loan my freshman year, then I was on my own. I had loans up the wazoo, and a very generous gift from my mom's uncle at the beginning of the school year. (And, yes, I'm still paying off my loans.) If I could go back, I'd major in music engineering so I could produce music. I think that would be awesome!
• I would have left Shadow at my parents' house when Dan and I first got married and moved into our apartment. She was a very, very sweet cat, but she wasn't a fan of the litterbox. She'd pee outside it, but never inside it. After having taking a couple of animal sciences classes about pets, I thought I could fix her. Generally, cats who do that do so because of FLUTD - Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Not Shadow. It was behavioral. Nothing we did helped her get it right. It probably didn't help that she was an indoor/outdoor cat when she lived at my parents' house. Finally, shortly before Grant was born, we got rid of her. But, by that point, the damage had been done.
  
• I never would've suggested we get the dog. He's a nice dog, and he's not all bad, but if I could change things we'd have stopped with the cats. I definitely am NOT a dog person. I prefer my cats. One thing is that dogs are so friggin' gross. There are things he does that just about make me sick. The other thing is the back yard isn't the haven it used to be for Abby. Before we got the dog, I'd take her out back and we'd play and sit on a blanket and blow bubbles, etc. Not anymore. Our yard's not big enough for us to section off part of it for the dog. So, he gets free run of the yard - which means there's dog pee and dog shit everywhere. Yes, we scoop occasionally - I mean Dan scoops occasionally. I don't do dog shit. He doesn't have time to scoop it every single day, so the kids and I generally play out front or go to the park. I miss playing out back with them.
• I would not have joined a sorority. Don't get me wrong, I made some good friends. Two of them stood up for me at my wedding. But, I am hardly in touch with anyone from it anymore. And, really, I think the sorority is why I ended up with so much debt coming out of school. Yes, living in house is cheaper than the dorms - until you factor in the general costs of being in a sorority: dues, social events, etc. It was so friggin' expensive, and not the amazing thing I was hoping it would be. The kicker for me is that they ("they" being the national offices of said sorority) wouldn't let me use my deceased grandmother's badge (really, it's a PIN). She died a horrible, painful death from cancer when I was in the third grade. I'm sure she had other things on her mind than her stupid pin. They wouldn't let me use it (nevermind she's the main reason I chose that particular sorority in the first place) because she didn't do what she was supposed to do with it when she died - either be buried with it or send it back to them. Whatever. I still have it, and they are NOT getting it back. Anyway, my pissed off self wanted to refuse to initiate at that point, but I didn't. I had already moved into the house and I felt stuck, so I initiated. If I could go back, I'd have chosen not to initiate when they refused to let me honor my grandmother.
  

And now my mind is mush. I'm spent. I know there are more things, but apparently I've tired myself out writing what I have. So, until the next time I feel like playing the could've/should've/would've game, I'll just say regret sucks. I'm trying not to sweat this stuff, as nothing can change any of it - it's in the past. I just need to master the art of self-forgiveness, something I've never done well at all.

If I cou

Book Review: Speak

Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition by Laurie Halse Anderson

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I won this book through GoodReads' firstreads program. I probably never would've picked this up otherwise, but I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed it. I loved Melinda's persona. I cracked up a few times because of some comment she made. While the subject is sad and disturbing, I think it was handled wonderfully. The characters are believable and well developed. I will be honest, though, and say that I wasn't blown away by this book. I would prefer to give it 4.5 stars, but Goodreads still doesn't allow for half stars. (They so gotta fix that!) So, because I really enjoyed the story and the characters, I chose to round up.

I did really like the extra material in this 10th Anniversary Edition. "Listen," the poem at the beginning, is amazing. It's clear that Laurie Halse Anderson has really helped reach people who might not have been reached otherwise. There's an essay at the back about whether she's going to write a sequel. I hope she does - I'd love to see what happens next. She mentioned an idea from some guy to call it "Spoke" - I love it! Genius! ;-) There also is a bit about censorship, and what is wrong with it. That little essay was amazing - and so right on. I promise that when my kids are old enough to be reading stories like this, we will read them together and discuss.

Overall, this was a very good book. I might have to look into more of Laurie Halse Anderson's books, as I really like her style.

View all my reviews.

Now I Remember

Not that I really forgot, but now I really remember why I HATE Walmart. HATE it. My husband is out of town for a couple of days, so it's me and the kiddos. We're doing fine, but last night I found out we have hardly any cat food, as in what I fed them last night was it. No more. My wonderful husband usually feeds them, so I don't generally know when we need food unless I'm told. See where I'm going?

While DH is gone, I have to drop Abby off at school. That's fine, we've got a good routine down now. Yesterday we needed groceries, so we just went straight to Jewel before heading home after dropping Abby off. I wanted to go to Target, b/c I generally prefer it over Walmart, but they didn't open for another 15 minutes. It takes about 5 minutes to get there from Abby's school. I didn't want to sit in the parking lot for 10 minutes. So, I headed to our 24-hour Walmart. Dumb move. Really dumb move.

Firstly, it's like a black hole of time. I never, ever can get in and out of there quickly. For one, it takes me forever to find what I need - they keep moving the damn store around. And, well, there often are things I wanna check while I'm there. I go there so rarely that there's almost always a good-size list of what I want to check out there. That part, I'll admit, is not Walmart's fault - well, at least not my having a list! ;-)

Secondly - and finally - they never, ever, ever have enough checkout lanes open. NEVER. Today was the worst I've ever experienced. Some stupid buyer three people ahead of me was causing all sorts of trouble. I waited in that line for half an hour - that's THIRTY MINUTES, folks - before finally getting checked out! If I was at Target, the second I lined up (three deep), they would've opened a new lane and taken me right away. But, it wasn't. So, the kids (minus Abby) and I sat - er, I guess stood. And stood. And stood. They did remarkably well, although Natalie got tired of being strapped in the cart after about 10 minutes. Poor kid.

So, this just reaffirms my hatred of that stupid store called Walmart. Ironically, I probably would've gotten in and out of Target faster - and home earlier, despite the fact that they weren't open yet! Teach me to make that choice again!

Politics in The Lion King

I have to take Grant and Natalie with me to pick Abby up at school every afternoon. On cold and/or wet days, we wait in the car for her to come to us. (On warmer/dry days, we meet her at the door.) Regardless of which we have, it is imperative that we arrive at the school as early as possible so that we can park nearby - and in a legal parking spot. I have gotten there as much as 25-ish minutes prior to school's release, and there are ALWAYS at least 4 cars there - with people inside! I don't get it - do these people have nothing better to do than sit by the school waiting for class to get out? Anyway, the waiting can be difficult with two little ones in the back seat. They get bored - and who can blame them? It took me more than half of the school year to figure a good way to handle that. (Why it took me so long, I'm not quite sure. I have a couple of theories, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say, I wish I'd figured this out at the beginning of winter, rather than the end of winter.) We have a factory-installed DVD player in the van, so now I play a movie while we wait. It keeps Natalie and Grant occupied, and my sanity in check! Added benefit: I can read while we wait for Abby. The current movie is - you guessed it - Disney's The Lion King. And, finally, I get to the point of this post! LOL

Today's "segment" (we generally get through about 30-45 minutes most days) started just after Mufasa rescues the lion cubs from the elephant graveyard. I don't know when it ended, but the beginning was shortly before Scar sings "Be Prepared." DH and I have always noted the dripping references to the USSR (man, haven't seen those letters together in who knows how long) and even Nazi Germany in this part of the movie. But, well, today, it hit closer to home for me.

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I'm a strong Republican. While I generally avoid too much talk of politics - simply because I'm not a fan of the conflict - the current state of our country worries me, to say the least. The USA is a republic - not a democracy, not a socialist nation. At least not at its birth. I hate seeing where we're headed. I hate seeing the big government we have headed our way. I hate seeing the class warfare that is being brought into our country. I hate that there's so much negative press about the corrupt, GREEDY people who make loads of cash. For every one of those, there are several hard-working Americans who also make loads of cash, but no one hears their stories. We'd rather hear about the CEOs who abuse their position for personal gain. I think it's criminal that those who make more pay a majority of the income tax in this country. Income tax should be flat and fair. Why should people be punished for making more than some "magic" amount of money? Just not right. Talk about killing productivity and discouraging those who would otherwise be driven. But, alas, I'm on a tangent. Sorry.

That said, there's a part of the aforementioned song, "Be Prepared," in which Scar and the hyenas are speaking between verses. And it goes like this:

Scar: Be prepared!

Hyena: Yeah! Be prepared. We'll be prepared! For what?

Scar: For the death of the king

Hyena: Is he sick?

Scar: No, fool! We're going to kill him. And Simba, too

Hyenas: Great idea! Who needs a king? No king, no king! La la la la la!

Scar: Idiots! There will be a king!

Hyena: But you said...

Scar: I will be king! Stick with me and you'll never go hungry again!

That last line is what struck me as so ... America right now! Sorry, but I hate Obama. I know I shouldn't, but I do. For many, many reasons. But, that's not my purpose in writing right now. It just sounds to me like what he's saying between the lines of his speeches: "I'm king of America. Stick with me - back me up - and you'll never go hungry again. We'll take what we want from the Haves and give it to the Have-nots ..." Yes, this is me simplifying my thoughts on this - and what I think Obama is doing. (It's getting late; I'm exhausted; and we have an early morning tomorrow.) People totally miss the point. The Declaration of Independence says everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness. To me, that means we have the right to do what we can to make the most of our lives - but that does (or at least so far as I'm concerned, SHOULD) NOT include taking what belongs to someone else, even if that someone else has plenty to spare.

"But, you're a Christian. Doesn't God say to give, give, give. Not to hold onto your money and things?" Well, yes. But, God gives us free will. He tells us what we should do, but we can choose our own actions. If we choose to do as He says, He will reward us. If not, well, we're on our own. But, they key here is free will, something that doesn't apply to taxes and other ways of taking what belongs to the Haves. Christian or not, these people aren't given a choice - their hard-earned (in most cases) cash is taken out from under them, without their consent. Like it or not, you have to pay taxes based on your income. As a Christian, I'm happy to give - so long as I'm able to choose if, when, how, and to whom I give.

OK, wow, this is one long rant about something I'm not very qualified to argue. Sorry. These are my thoughts and feelings on this subject. No, I don't have all of the facts. But, know this: I am not in the class of the Haves, so I am not arguing this as one who wants to keep what is hers. I'm arguing this as one who sees big-time unfairness. Yes, people argue about it being unfair that these people have what they have when there are others starving to death or barely able to make ends meet. But, if these people are honestly working hard for what they have, how is it unfair for them to have it? You're not entitled to it simply for being American - and even in some cases merely for being in America, whether legally or not. (And that is a whole other ball of wax I'm just going to avoid, as I have even stronger feelings about that.) Let's not forget that these Haves are also the people with the money to employ others. When we tax the hell out of these people, there's less for them to share with others - whether it's by gifting, hiring, or something else! I'm sorry, but Reagan was right. Trickle-down economics does work. It did work. It would work again, if we went back to it. Alas, Obama is going the opposite way. Except, it's not going to work.

Finally, has anyone else thought how ridiculous these stimulus plans are? Wanna get the country back on its feet? Spend, spend, spend! You don't have the money? Borrow, then spend. Nevermind that's what's got us into this mess in the first place: spending money we DON'T have! And printing more money. REALLY? Do you really think that'll help? I did HORRIBLY in my economics class in college, but even I know that'll just cause recession. That means higher prices for everything. More money floating around means it is worth less than it was before the newly printed money was released. That means it'll take more money to buy EVERYTHING! How do people not see this? *sigh*

This totally ended up being something I never intended it to be. But, since this is my place to share my mind, here you go.

Book Review: The Gnostic Mystery ***SPOILERS***

The Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book wasn't much of a story, but more of a preaching. It's clear that the author believes what is being preached in this book. There is very little action in the book - most of it is just people explaining why Christianity is a farce. Or at least why some people think that. The characters weren't very believable. For Jack to be such an intelligent businessman you'd think he'd be a better conversationalist and you'd think he'd not be such a simpleton.

To be honest, this book has instilled a little bit of questioning into my head. I'm a born-again Christian, and won't take something like this at face value. However, I'm also educated and somewhat interested in possibly doing my own research into this subject. I'm not going to take what one man writes about this and accept it as fact - I don't care how many sources are cited. Where am I starting? Mere Christianity is my starting point. So, stay tuned to my reviews if you'd like to see the impression I get from that.

One thing I wanted to say about a specific plot point. And that's about the differences in the disciples from the main Gospels to the Book of Acts. I believe Chloe and Punjeeh called it a "transformation" and as though the Disciples were re-born. Despite the author's intentions, this does not prove that these are fabricated stories. On the contrary, it shows the change that happens once someone becomes a Christian. There's a radical transformation, and the individual becomes a new creation. So, despite the author's best effort to use that to show another reason to believe the New Testament is just a bunch of stories, this actually was a comfort to me. Because that's what being a Christian is: it's becoming a new person who (hopefully) bears little resemblance to the original.

View all my reviews.

Product Review: Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Conditioner

My back is doing much better, I am finally able to get to another product review! My humblest apologies to anyone who's been waiting - especially to the folks at EcostoreUSA, who were kind enough to send me these products in exchange for my reviews.

Tonight I'm going to share the Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Rosemary Orange Conditioner. I'm doing them together because, well, I use them together. My hair is such that I cannot go without conditioner, so using them separately isn't gonna happen! The shampoo's description on the Web site says:

Combining nature's best products and aromatherapy Ecostore USA has created a wonderful shampoo that will bring volume and life back to your hair. (6.8 fluid ounces)

The description of the conditioner on the Web site says:

Use the Rosemary Orange Conditioner to give body to oily, lifeless hair. This gentle formulation is made with NO NASTY CHEMICALS that could possibly strip hair of essential oils. (6.8 fluid ounces)

And both bottles say the following:

Extra body for fine/oily hair

I am big on scented shampoos and conditioners, and one of the first things I did was smell them. And, I'll be honest, initially I wasn't too sure. The rosemary seems to be the dominant scent, and usually I go for flowery stuff. This is a far cry from what I usually go for - and I couldn't help but think I should've asked for the Vanilla Shampoo and Conditioner instead. But, that is for chemically treated hair, which mine is not. At least not at the present time. Perhaps when I get back into coloring it, I'll give the Vanilla a try.


Anyway, back to the products at hand. I really like both products. I have used both several times now - I wanted to get a really good amount of experience with them. I used them exclusively for a couple of weeks to make sure I was seeing results strictly from these products, rather than something else I'd normally use. The shampoo really gets my hair clean - I'm talking squeaky clean. It's really cool - and probably cleaner than my usual shampoo gets it. It lathers very nicely - and without using a ton of the product! That means more bang for your buck - you can use less of the product to get your desired result. The conditioner works very well, too. The best part is that, used together, these products have done wonders for my naturally curly, but VERY fine hair! My hair is so fine that it doesn't hold its natural curls well without a LOT of help. But, this product actually enhances my natural curls! I'm guessing it is significantly better at NOT leaving any residue or build-up on my hair, making it lighter and more apt to curl - and KEEP the curl! It's awesome!

Outside the bottles, the scent is actually very nice. It's natural-smelling and pleasant. And after my hair is dry it smells nice. My husband says he likes the scent, too - and that's always a bonus! ;-)

In summary: EcostoreUSA's Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Rosemary Orange Conditioner are wonderful products. They clean and condition my hair better than my usual product; they smell great; and, big-time bonus, they are safe for our environment! It doesn't get much better than that! For those of you in the Midwest, if you have a Meijer store nearby keep an eye out for EcostoreUSA products, as they're coming soon - if not there already! For those of us without Meijer, their products can be purchased via the company's Web site.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

My husband shared a very informative (and even a bit entertaining, IMO) video with me. So, I thought I'd share it with you all. Basically, it very well explains exactly what happened to bring down our nation's economy.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

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God Bless Miss Rosa

As the parent of an unreasonably picky eater I can't accurately express just how frustrating it can be to feed my children. Interestingly, my girls are my good eaters - it's my son who is a PITA to feed. (I thought boys eat their parents out of house and home, but apparently either that's coming later or he'll be the exception to the rule.) Some days, I will try almost anything to get him to eat something other than cheese as the main part of his lunch and/or dinner. I have even mixed peanut butter and honey, hoping he'll like it extra sweet. Nope.

Somewhat recently I participated in a BzzCampaign with BzzAgent for Smucker's Uncrustables. I was skeptical - they sounded kinda gross to me! But, I gave them a try. (For free, I'll try almost - key word here is "almost" - anything!) I was pleasantly surprised. They are VERY good - and I actually bought a stash for me to eat! LOL Anyway, I knew Abby would love them - she's all about PB&J. Natalie doesn't have PB yet, and Grant won't touch it. Although, he would eat just jelly - like almost any kid! LOL But, they have a Cheese variety - kinda like grilled cheese. I tried it back then when I was doing the BzzCampaign. Grant kinda nibbled at it.

Enter Miss Rosa! Who is Miss Rosa? She's one of the hosts on PBS Kids mornings. Grant seems to think she's cool, as do my other kids. But, there's one segment she does that apparently inspired him. Unfortunately, I can't find a clip online anywhere, so we'll have to go with my (probably not entirely accurate) description, but I think you'll get the idea. Between shows, she sits there with a sandwich. She says she's going to try a new sandwich: cheese and pickles. She takes a bite (or pretends to, it's hard to tell), and says "mmm. It's actually pretty good. I like it." Then she says how good it is to try new things, etc.

Well, today at lunch, I was feeding Grant some of the aforementioned cheese sandwiches by Smucker's. He started acting out this little clip with Miss Rosa, and ate more of that sandwich than I'd ever seen him eat before! More than half! Knock me over with a feather! I kept thinking "God bless Miss Rosa!" LOL So, I decided to share. It's amazing what these seemingly insignificant things can help with!

Oh! My aching back!

It occurred to me that I've been pretty quiet around here. With the exception of a few reviews (more of which are coming - I still have a couple of EcoStoreUSA things to write up), I haven't said much. I'm not meaning to be negligent or anything like that. I have a valid excuse, I swear.

Three weeks ago, I injured my back. Big-time. How? I have no idea. I think I somehow aggravated an old injury. Anyway, it was quite painful, and my third day of serious pain was enough. I decided to call a chiropractor. Fortunately, we live in the Land of Chiropractic - aka, in the same area as Palmer College of Chiropractic. For those who don't know, this is where what we now know as Chiropractic was born. So, I decided to take advantage of their clinic. My husband has been there off and on over the past few years now, so I was confident that their interns wouldn't cause any damage other than what I'd done.

We'll call my doctor Dr. B. and my intern J. I will say that they are great. The doctor is very personable, and clearly knows his stuff. And J. is pretty cool, too. He is friendly, funny, and compassionate. I brought Abby with to most of my appointments, and he does great with her. Talks to her and doesn't seem uncomfortable around her. (You know how these mid-20 guys can be sometimes. I was glad he's not like that.) She seems to like him, too, as she plans to attend my next appointment! LOL Anyway, that first appointment was not fun. I couldn't move very well at all. Fortunately, it was just an evaluation. I went back the next day, and man was that bad. It was an extremely painful adjustment. I actually felt bad for J.! Every time he did something that resulted in me somehow responding to the pain (reflexes cannot be helped LOL), he'd apologize up and down. I kept telling him he didn't have to apologize - he's doing what he needs to for me to get better. But, I was in a decent - or is it indecent? - amount of pain. But, I'm in my third week of treatment (I seem to be going twice a week now) and doing amazingly well. I still get stiff and sore, but nothing like I had been. I go back tomorrow, with Abby in tow!

OK, wow, that was more detail than I'd intended. My purpose was just to say I've been quiet because my back injury has forced me to spend less time on the computer. There was awhile there when sitting at the computer at all was EXTREMELY painful. Then there was time when short bursts were bearable, but left me in pain upon getting up. Now, I'm just trying to keep from sitting too long. Did you know that sitting is actually harder on your back than standing? It really is - even a healthy back. So, I'm trying to move more.

Anyway, all that to say I've been quiet not because I have nothing to say, but because saying it would bring me to tears - or close to. I hope to get the last of my product reviews for ecostoreUSA done soon. But, I'm still waiting to be able to sit and not feel rushed. (Feeling rushed is because I want to get up before the pain and/or stiffness returns.)

Book Review: Vanishing Acts ***SPOILERS***

Vanishing Acts: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I wish we could do half-star ratings, as I would prefer to give this four and a half stars. It was a VERY good book, but there are things that make me want to mark it down. But, I think it deserves more than four stars, which is why I decided to just go up rather than down from 4.5 stars.

So, what are my problems. Well, for one, there are too many loose ends. I was VERY happy to see how things played out, but one more chapter with what was next would've been nice. I want to know a few things:

What happens with Eric? Does he stay in Arizona? Does he sober up and stay sobered up?
What happens with Fitz? Where does he get a new job? Does he get the girl?
What about Delia? Who does she choose?
What happens to Andrew? Is he able to get back to his life in New Hampshire, or does his legal trouble cause him to fall in his standing?

In short, I loved the story. Very well-written, and great curves thrown in there. I didn't see the sexual-abuse angle coming at all. Shocked me as much as it shocked the courtroom. But, I will say that Victor wasn't someone I liked at all. I couldn't figure it out at first. But, when Sophie disappeared and she's found getting ice cream with him. He took Sophie without asking - I couldn't believe Delia was OK. I understand she was relieved that Sophie was OK, but seriously? She hardly knew the man - had only met him a couple of weeks prior. As a mother, I would have been PISSED! My reaction would've been something to the effect of "Who the hell do you think you are? Don't you EVER take my daughter anywhere without my consent - EVER!" And then when the sexual-abuse thing came to light, I cringed. Scary, scary stuff. I really think this (aside from the questions I want answers to) was my main problem with the book. Overall, a great read that I highly recommend.

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Book Review: American Rust ***SPOILERS***

American Rust: A Novel by Philipp Meyer

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book was OK. Not one of the best I've read. Not an instant classic. Not something I couldn't put down. The story was all right. It had promise. The characters were interesting. But, that's about it. I didn't like the writing style. I thought it was kinda neat to have the perspective of so many characters. I did like that. I liked that each chapter took one character's take on everything. I liked that we learned a lot about each character because we got to see inside their heads. I did not like the way it was written otherwise. Missing punctuation, poor grammar. I'm guessing it was intended to be train-of-thought but it confused me at times. There were some times that I had to reread a bit to figure out what was being said. While I understand the idea behind train-of-thought writing, we have punctuation for a reason. What good is an interesting plot and good characters if the writing isn't easily understood. No, don't dumb it down, but also don't forgo things like punctuation. Finally, the ending left me wanting more. I didn't like it at all. I don't want some hint at what might have maybe happened to these people. I want to know. I want closure. I hate when books don't tell me the end. Did Isaac really go with his sister as he said he would? What happened with Harris? Did he get figured out, or did he end up in prison? Did Grace go to Texas? When did Poe get out of jail? The "vision" Grace had at the end - was that how he found out that she wasn't there anymore? What about Lee? Too many questions to leave me satisfied with this book. Throughout the book, I actually liked it - for the most part. But the end just did it for me. Again, I hate when books don't tie up loose ends. And that is why I gave it two stars - I would've given it three otherwise.


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Book Review: Inkspell

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Unlike many second books in a trilogy, this one was VERY good. There were plot twists and turns that were surprising but wonderful. Character development continued from the first book in the series (Inkheart) and also took unexpected turns.

In the first book, I really liked Fenoglio. But, wow - how different he turned out to be from what I'd expected. He's an arrogant, pompous, pig-headed jerk! I hope that in the concluding book (Inkdeath) gives him a chance to redeem himself!

Dustfinger is still my favorite character - and I just love his martens. I am not happy with the turn his story took, but hope things look up come the conclusion of this tale.

I did think there was too much Meggie and Farid stuff. I preferred how it was handled in the previous book, where there only were subtle hints. I don't really care to hear about the adolescent puppy love those two share.

That said, I still thought this was an amazing book. I cannot wait to get my hands on Inkdeath!

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